wrestling / TV Reports
Jeremy’s WWE NXT Review 11.22.22
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Hello, everyone and welcome to our live WWE NXT coverage on 411! I’m Jeremy Thomas, here as always, and we’re in Thanksgiving week! While the main roster is racing toward Survivor Series this Saturday, the Tuesday Night brand has NXT Deadline to look forward to on December 10th. We’ll likely get some hype starting for that this week, but in the meantime we also have an NXT North American Championship match as Wes Lee defends one-on-one against the man who lost the title to Lee in Carmelo Hayes! Plus Cora Jade and Wendy Choo go head to head in the ring, while Zoey Stark looks to solidify her heel turn in a match against Sol Ruca and Toxic Attraction kicks off the show. Plus, SCRYPTS is supposed to make his debut so we’ll see how that goes.
Here at Thomas HQ, it was a busy week and I didn’t get a ton watched. I did check out Where the Crawdads Sing, which was a heavy disappointment despite some great acting by Daisy Edgar-Jones. Dashcam was a perfectly acceptable found footage film if you can get past the deeply unlikeable lead character, while The Menu won’t be for everyone but was an absolute blast in my book from start to finish. I’m also keeping up on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans which is my Monday night appointment viewing and remains fantastic.
Anyway, we’re gonna have a lot to cover tonight so let’s hop right in.
As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.
* We kick off with a recap of last week’s NXT including Bron Breakker’s NXT Title retention, Apollo Crews defeating JD McDonagh, Wes Lee’s contract singing with Carmelo Hayes, and Mandy Rose retaining the NXT Women’s Championship against Alba Fyre thanks to Isla Dawn.
* Toxic Attraction is here! They make their way down to the ring as Booker T continues to do his best Wade Barrett impression. Mandy says that in the immortal words of Queen “Another one bites the dust,” but there’s only one Queen in NXT and after last night she is still the Last Woman Standing. She’s defended her title and now NXT has to create the Iron Survivor Challenge to determine who her next challenger will be. She is kind of sad that she doesn’t get to compete but she’ll be watching closely so she can find out who is willing to go to war to share a ring with her.
Jacy says that Firebat is out of their hair and has her own drama to deal with, so Mandy can sit on her throne while she and Gigi focus on becoming three-time NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions. Gigi says that the lust to get the titles back is intolerable and unlike Zoey and Nikkita, they’re a real team.
Kayden and Katana come out. Kayden says she’s sick of those three demanding to do whatever she wants. Katana says Mandy is phony and the only reason she’s champion is because if Isla Dawn. Kayden says Mandy’s words aren’t the only thing phony about her. Katana tells Gigi and Jacy to look in the mirror. They spend all their time protecting Mandy because if Mandy loses her title, they have no equity. Gigi says that the titles have lost equity with Kayden and Katana and Jacy says seeing them with the titles makes her sick, and once they get the titles back Kayden and Katana will go back to being irrelevant.
Kayden and Katana attack but the numbers game takes over and the champs get beat up.
* Earlier today, Wes Lee arrived in the parking lot when Tony D and Stacks drove up. Tony says he hasn’t forgotten what Wes did to him but good luck tonight. Wes says again that it was an accident, but when he’s finished with Melo Tony knows where to find him.
* Duke Hudson is reading the Chase U playbook when Grayson Waller comes up saying he loves Duke’s dedication to the bit. Duke doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and says this is him and he’s a committed and dedicated student of Chase U. He says anyone who talks bad of Chase U is an enemy of his. Waller says he knows Duke’s true colors, and Chase says those colors are black and red which makes Waller walk off laughing.
Cora Jade vs. Wendy Choo
Wendy slaps Cora to start and locks in a headlock. She gets shot into the ropes and runs Cora over, then beats on her in the corner. Wendy sends Jade into another corner and chops her, sends her into the ropes and runs her over again with a forearm. Wristlock by Choo and she spins Jade around before slamming her down.
Jade to her feet and elbows out of the wristlock, she comes off the ropes and elbows Choo. Off the ropes but Choo with a hiptoss and Jade escapes into the ropes, then kicks Choo. Off the ropes for a splash against Choo in the middle rope, then a bit of manhandling. Choo manages to slide off Cora’s back for a rollup for one.
Wendy with a big kick to the jaw in the corner, she goes for a senton but Cora moves. Cora off the ropes to stomp on Wendy but she slips outside and pulls Cora out, slamming her on the floor as we go to PIP break.
We’re back as Wendy fights out of a bow-and-arrow submission and ends up against the middle rope. Cora dives in but Wendy moves and kicks Cora hard. Irish whip, release German suplex by Wendy! Cartwheel splash in the corner, she goes up and hits a crossbody for two.
Choo goes for a suplex but Jade floats over, she rolls Wendy up for two. Wendy with a brainbuster! She’s going up top, but Cora is up to her feet and Choo slips down. Cora goes for the iron pipe but Wendy kicks her. Wendy teases hitting Cora with the pipe and as she argues with the ref, Cora grabs Wendy’s drink. Splash to the eyes as the referee puts the pipe away, double underhook DDT and that’s it.
Winner: Cora Jade (9:08)
Rating: ** 1/2
Thoughts: Solid outing here. We knew who was going to win, but the in-ring work was largely pretty good here. Cora is really developing into a strong heel and I appreciate it.
After the match Wendy is crying in the ring and Cora mocks her from the entrance.
* Apollo Crews walks into a diner with his book and talks about the meaning of Deadline. He says he has the opportunity at NXT Deadline to complete something that he came to NXT to do. It will be six months since he looked Bron in the eye, and says it will be a long few weeks because he’s never wanted something so much in his life. This is the match he wakes up in the middle of the night dreaming of. The weight of the championship is weighing on Bron and you can see it in his eyes, but in Crews’ eyes is only clarity and vision.
* McKenzie asks Kiana James about her match with Ivy Nile next, and Kiana says Ivy is tough because she isn’t intimidated. She also says her deal to buy Fallon’s bar fell through because of stupidity, and she got receipts last week.
Kiana leaves and Javi comes in and says he has more names for matches. He has a full printout of multiple pages. McKenzie says Axiom is first and he’s still injured. Elon Musk is #14, and Drake (the rapper) is on there too. #150 is someone who is retired, but Javi says they always come back with one more match. McKenzie says he’s not fighting anyone on this list and Javi storms off.
* The Chase U posse are happy talking about their classwork when Pretty Deadly come up and have a proposition for Duke Hudson. They want a ringer for a poker game and Duke says that he’s hanging with his crew, and gambling is against Chase U policy. PD say that he’s a stooge who at least used to look cool. Duke attacks and as Thea is held back, Duke battles with Kip and Elton until officials break it up.
Kiana James vs. Ivy Nile
Lockup to start, Nile backs James into the ropes and breaks it up but gets shoved, so she shoves Kiana back. Side headlock by Kiana, which Nile hiptoses out of and locks in a wristlock. Kiana trips Ivy but gets taken down. Back up and James gets a full nelson but Nile escapes and sunset flips James for two.
They jostle for position until James clotheslines Nile down. She picks Nile up into a backbreaker submission over the shoulder, then drops down into an inverted backbreaker for two. Nile fights back but gets sent into the corner, backbreaker for James and cover for two.
James with a shoulder submission and slams her to the mat for two, then locks in a knee submission. Ivy escapes into a side healock, James with a back suplex for two. James tries again with the back suplex but Nile escapes and locks in an arm submission, she covers for two and then kicks the hell out of James. Rana that doesn’t quite deliver when James flips too late, powerslam and then a dropkick sends James through the ropes. James decides to bail but is stopped by Henley, she steps into the ring and Nile gets the dragon sleeper for the tap.
Winner: Ivy Nile (4:44)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: Kiana James still has a ways to go. Nile is solid but this could have been better.
Fallon beats Kiana and they go into the crowd as Diamond Mine comes into the ring. Julius praises Ivy and then addresses Indus Sher for attacking them. He runs down people that they’ve beaten and Brutus says intimidation doesn’t affect them, they’ve worked too hard to fear anything with a heartbeat. Respect is the last thing they’re going to get. Julius challenges Indus Sher to a match at NXT Deadline.
* Isla gets a vignette talking about her attack of Alba Fyre. She says she gave Alba fair warning with the blackouts, but no one saw the “ethereal being” materializing. She says for any answers Alba seeks, she must listen to the same spirit voices that guided Isla to Alba. She tells Alba they’re going to have so much fun together.
* Andre Chase is giving some lessons to Mario when Duke Hudson runs in out of breath. Duke says that he couldn’t leave it all in the ring and “punched” Pretty Deadly. “Who?,” says Chase. Hudson goes, “The, you know, the…” and gestures. Chase is worried that there were repercussions and Duke says he got them a tag team title match. Mario says that’s great and Chase tells him to get the hell out of his office because he has a tag team title match to prepare for.
SCRYPTS vs. Guru Raaj
SCRYPTS is Reginald, for the record. SCRYPTS flips around Raaj and kicks him, he goes unto the ropes and limbo dodges a big boot before sending Rag into the corner. Raaj tries for a clothesline and SCRYPTS flips all the way over to dodge. He takes Raaj down and backs up, climbing to the top rope — flipping sitdown splash for three.
Winner: SCRYPTS (1:21)
Rating: N/A
Thoughts: The ring gear is awful, but I’m glad to see Reggie is getting to do something. RIP Guru Raaj.
After the match, SCRYPTS leaves a card on Raaj’s chest.
* Schism is coming to the ring for their Thanksgiving message next.
* We’re back from break and Schism are in the ring in their masks. Joe Gacy takes his off and speaks, saying autumn is the time of year when trees shed their leaves. The Schism’s tree is no different; they shed the transgressions of others against them and this week they recognize a day for giving thanks. It’s their duty to reinforce the meaning of a day meant for togetherness and something to be thankful for.
Ava Raine says every year, stories are told of families being torn apart by Thanksgiving and dysfunction remains the norm. Blood relatives can’t be counted on, but the Schism can.
Rip Fowler says that a day to be grateful that you have enough to feed yourselves during a hard time has led to a day of gluttony. Ava goes out into the crown and finds a man, in the crowd, inviting him into the crowd as Jagger Reid complains about Black Friday. The “fan” sits at the table and Gacy says their table is bare so that it’s open for new opportunites to forge new traditions. He says tonight they will christen a new holiday, and the “fan” will be a bridge between the left behind traditions and the new everlasting traditions.
The fans chant “SACRIFICE!” as Gacy tells the guy to stand with him as they pledge the day of Schism Invictus. They all stand up and Gacy says they pledge on this day of Schism Invictus to refuse anyone who isn’t the Schism. Ava hugs the guy as Gacy says it’s too late to join the Schism and they aren’t inclusive; they’re now divisive. Gacy thanks the man for his sacrifice and puts him through the table.
* McKenzie is backstage with Trick, who says Melo is getting ready to put on the A performance. McKenzie starts to ask a question and Trick just starts to talk about how Melo will beat Wes Lee. Wes walks up and says don’t let him stop Trick. Trick says Melo is money and Wes says Trick doesn’t need to be out there then, right? Trick protests, and Wes says Melo needs Trick then. Trick says Melo doesn’t need him, and Wes says then it’s one-on-one. Trick says he’s putting words in his mouth, but Wes leaves.
* We get a vignette with Bron where he talks about how when he’s not wrestling, he’s on his boat fishing. He loves how quiet it is and says being NXT Champion comes with a lot of weight. He loves it but it takes a toll after a while. In the beginning he felt like Superman but he feels more pressure as time goes on and that’s why he comes out here. He says fish aren’t as active in the winter time and he has to try different things to catch them. This is his escape, because on shore he has competitors from all angles. Crews is next and Bron says he’s right: at NXT Deadline the weight goes back on. And after he retains his title, he’ll be back out here.
Sol Ruca vs. Zoey Stark
Lockup to start, they counter wrestle a bit and Ruca ends up in a front facelock. Stark escapes and sends Ruca into the corner, she tries to snapmare Ruca down and she cartwheels. Ruca with a kick to Stark’s face, Zoey counters with a superkick for two.
Ruca knocks Stark down, Zoey to the outside. Ruca tries to slide out but gets caught by Zoey in the apron for a beating. Zoey slides in and hits a basement dropkick on Ruca, then rolls her in to wrench on her face for four. Overhand clubbing blows into a front facelock, Ruca to her feet but gets knocked back down. Zoey charges Sol in the corner but Sol rolls her up for two, she hits several dropkicks and a back bodydrop, cover for two.
Ruca goes up top but Zoey kicks her off the top rope to the apron. Ruca with a sunset flip powerbomb into the ring for two, sends Zoey into the corner and hits a flip splash. Powerslam for two. Ruca goes up top, she goes for a dropkick but Zoey dodges and hits the big knee for three.
Winner: Zoey Stark (4:14)
Rating: ** 1/4
Thoughts: To short to mean much, but Ruca looked better here than she has in recent weeks so that’s a good sign.
Zoey attcks Sol after the bell but Nikkita comes out and attacks Zoey, who bails before she gets hit with the roundhouse.
* Malik and Edies are asking Von Wagner and Rob Stone to come party with them. Von says they’re lookinhg sharp and have a lot of swag. He has his dancing shoes on him and takes off his jacket, saying “onward and upward, right?” He says he’ll never be seen out with those losers and attacks them, beating them down in the lot and ripping Malik’s cardigan. Odyssey Jones comes over and Von backs off.
* Charlie Dempsey complains about guys who train to look good on Instagram and how guys like Chase U and Hank Walker are around NXT, but he’ll have them screaming when he gets them in the ring because pro wrestling is SERIOUS BUSINESS you guys.
NXT Tag Team Championship Match
Pretty Deadly vs. Chase U
Elton tries to sneak attack to start but Duke nails him, then grabs Kip out of the corner for a sidewalk slam for two. Chase tags in, Irish whip and a drop toe-hold/elbow drop for one. My feed went a bit twitchy but Chase takes Elton down with a headlock takedown. Chase goes off the ropes but is nailed with a dropkick, and Elton tags in Kip. Double bodyblock and then a splash/legdrop combo for two.
Chase sent into the ropes but kicks Kip in the head, he goes under Kip and sends him into the mat, some wild counterwrestling and cover for two from Chase. Elton comes into the ring and gets backdropped while KIp is in a headlock, and he takes them both down with a headlock/rana combo. Hudson comes into the ring and helps, Elton sent to the outside and Chase with the Chase U stomps to Kip as we head to break.
We’re back as Elton is in control of Andre Chase, who hits a jawbreaker to stop Elton’s momentum. Kip distracts Duke on the outside so Chase can’t tag out, and Elton beats on Chase until Kip tags in. Tandem kicks and they mock Hudson, Prince tags in and comes off the top with a double axehandle on Chase for two. Kip tags back in, whip off the ropes but Chase holds on. He takes out PD and goes to make a tag, Prince is sent out of the ring and wipes out Thea. Hudson goes to check on her and isn’t there for the tag. Lifted gutbuster for the champs, cover for two.
Chase manges to tag in Hudson, who comes in wild! He wipes out both members and hits KIp with a big elbow, but Prince breaks it up. Hudson beats on Elton and sends him out of the ring, he tags in Chase and pulls him into the ring.Chase takes out Prince, Duke comes off the ropes for a big boot to Kip but Kip ducks and he takes out Chase! Hudson sent to the outside, Spilled Milk and that’s it.
Winner: Pretty Deadly (11:50)
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Very solid match here. I don’t know where this Duke Hudson/Chase U storyline is going but it’s not quite following the expected route so I’m intrigued.
After, Chase looks angry at Duke but only behind Duke’s back.
* We get a recap of an NXT weekend live event on TikTok where Roxy talks with Nikkita about a six-man tag win. Indi Hartwell is angry about Roxy not watching her match when she was watching it.
* Melo walks on his own to the ring, as does Wes Lee (with Tony D and Stacks watching in the background).
* Kayden and Katana are walking backstage when Nikkita walks up and says that they were right; Nikkita and Zoey weren’t a real time. They say Nikkita is a bad-ass and she volunteers to be the third in their match with TA next week.
Set For Next Week:
– Indi Hartwell vs. Roxanne Perez
– Toxic Attraction vs. Kayden, Katana & Nikkita
– NXT Iron Survivor Challenge participants reveal
NXT North American Championship Match
Wes Lee vs. Carmelo Hayes
Wes and Melo stare off and circle, lockup and they jockey for control. Melo with a fist to Lee, followed by some shit talk — and Lee tackles him! Melo slides out of the ring and Lee comes right after. Lee sent into the guardrail but Lee trips Melo into it and sends him over it! Melo back out and nails Lee, then sends him in the ring. Melo with kicks to Lee, he charges Lee against the ropes but Lee with a rana. Side headlock to slow things down, Melo with a back suplex but Lee floats over. Melo takes Lee down, they dodge some kicks and Lee rolls Melo up for two, followed by a rollup for Melo. One more rollup by Lee, Melo comes off the ropes and Lee dodges. Lee handsprings off the ropes and Melo dodges. Double kick and they’re both down, ref counts two but they get up and Melo kicks Lee as we go to PIP break.
Back and Melo has Lee in a seated sleeper hold, looming over him. Lee gets to his feet and eats a knee to the chest, Irish whip and Lee ducks a clothesline but gets a snake-eye. Melo with a springboard clothesline for two. Melo beats on a downed Lee and the crowd chants for Lee, who gets whipped into the corner hard. Another whip into the opposite corner chest-first.
Another whip to the corner but Lee comes up short and sends Melo into the corner, big German suplex! Both men slow to get up and then they trade strikes in the center of the ring. They go off on each other, Lee with a back kick and repeated kicks, snapmare and a dropkick to the back of the head. Charging Euro uppercut in the corner, an uppercut off the ropes and a diving reverse DDT. Rana plants Melo’s head and Lee covers for two.
Lee goes up top and takes aim — 450 put Melo dodges and nails an inside cradle for two. Spinning facebuster gets another two count and both men are down. Melo up first, he moves in but gets kicked in the face, Codebraker but Lee blocks it. He comes off the ropes and the Codebreaker connects this time, Melo goes up top for the Rocker Dropper but Lee moves — double knee plants Melo’s head in the mat for two! Lee off the ropes with a dropkick that sends Melo to the outside, and Trick is here! Lee dives on top of Trick!
Melo nails Lee in the head and rolls him into the ring, he goes up top — but Lee is up and nails him! Suplex countered and Melo sends Lee into the turnbuckle, Lee dodges and kicks Melo in the head — flipping Pele kick! Michinoku Driver finishes it!
Winner: Wes Lee (13:01)
Rating: *** 1/2
Thoughts: Great match as we’d expect from these two. Lee retains as he should have, and hopefully Melo can move on from the NXT NA Title and eventually battle Bron for the NXT Championship. He has to be the top choice to win at Deadline to earn that title shot.
After the match, Lee’s graphic is covered in chains on the Tron and Dijakovic appears behind Lee, taking him out.
And with that, we’re done for the night!
